Seasons set for duck, geese hunting

ATLANTA - Hunters of migratory water fowl now have some dates to circle on their calendar after the Georgia Natural Resources Board voted Tuesday on hunting seasons and bag limits.

The board, using guidelines provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, set duck hunting dates at Nov. 17-25 and Dec. 8-Jan. 27. Canada goose dates are the same with the addition of Sept. 1-30.

Teal may only be hunted Sept. 8-23.

Outdoor lovers under age 18 get their own days for hunting, Nov. 10-11.

"We have taken every opportunity to maximize the limits for our hunters," said John Bowers, assistant chief of game management for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.

There is a bag limit of six ducks, but only four can be mallards.

The board also learned that so far, 12,000 votes have been cast by members of the public about their preference of specialty car-tags proposals displayed on the agency's website (georgiawildlife.com/LicensePlateSurvey). The department is asking people to select which designs should replace the eagle and hummingbird designs used currently for wildlife specialty tags.

Proceeds from the sale of the tags beyond the ad valorem tax go to fund the state's management of wildlife.

"Obviously, the point is to raise money for Wildlife Resources," said Dan Forster, director of the department's Wildlife Resources Division.